Apparatus for rotating rod shaped objects about their transverse axes



G. GAMBERINI 3,235,060

TING ROD SHAPED OBJECTS ABOU Pet is, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 APPARATUS FOR ROTA THEIR TRANSVERSE AXES Filefi Dec. 2, 1963 INVENTOR GOFFREDO GAMBERINI ATTORNEY Feb. 15, 1966 G. GAMBERINI 3,235,060

APPARATUS FOR ROTATING ROD SHAPED OBJECTS ABOUT THEIR TRANSVERSE AXES Filed Dec. 2, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR GOFFREDO GAM BERINI BYwf- ATTORNEY Feb. 15, 1966 G. GAMBERINI 3,235,060

APPARATUS FOR ROTATING ROD SHAPED OBJECTS ABOUT THEIR TRANSVERSE AXES Filed Dec. 2, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 3

INVENTOR GOFFREDO GAMBEMNI ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,235,060 APPARATUS FOR ROTATING ROD SHAPED 0B- JECTS ABUUT THEIR TRANSVEREiE AXES Goffredo Gamberini, Bologna, Italy, assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 327,337 Claims priority, appligat/ion Italy, Dec. 3, 1962, 1 1 36 8 Claims. (U. 198-33) The right of priority for this application is claimed under the International Convention on the basis of an Italian application, Italian Serial No. 161/36, filed in Italy, December 3, 196-2 by the present applicant for a patent on the same invention as described and claimed herein.

This invent-ion pertains to a device for rotating rod shaped objects, in particular cigarettes, or the like, through a predetermined angle, for example 90 degrees, about the transverse axis.

The cigarette rotator of the present invention may be applied for example to continuously automatic cigarette making machines, for the purpose of reorienting cigarettes cut from a continuous cigarette rod and which are being received, one after the other, in longitudinal axial spaced alignment, from the rod forming line at relatively high speed. After their reception and rotation in the device of the present invention, the cigarettes are deposited with their longitudinal axes transverse a moving belt and arranged in one or more parallel rows thereon. Instead of being at right angles to the cigarette rod forming line, which is as currently performed, the collecting belt may be disposed at any desired angle to the cigarette rod forming line.

According to the present invention, the mechanism comprises in substance a rotating drum, having an outer surface which is a surface of revolution having grooves or flutes therein to receive and rotate the cigarettes. The straight generatrices of the drum are inclined to the axis of rotation of the drum and periodically, as a result of the rotation, are moved into a cigarette receiving position, and a cigarette delivery position, which positions are angularly spaced one from another. Preferably the receiving and delivery positions are on opposite sectors of the drum. In the receiving position the position of the straight generatrices on the opposite sides of a groove or flute in the surface of the drum is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the incoming cigarette so that the groove or flute is an extension of the rod forming line. After reception of the cigarette the groove or flute is rorated into the delivery position in which it is at right angles to the line of motion of the collecting belt. Further, after rotation to the delivery position, the cigarette is inclined relative to the receiving position by an angle corresponding to that through which the cigarette is required to be rotated about its transverse axis.

The rotatable drum is provided with a plurality of rectilinear grooves or flutes for the cigarettes extending completely around its peripheral surface.

Means are provided for retaining the cigarettes on the drum during rotation from the receiving to the delivery positions.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer surface of the drum is formed by a surface of a hypernoloid of revolution, the two sheaves of straight generatrices of which are inclined relative to the axis of rotation of the drum by an angle equal to half the angle through which the cigarettes must be rotated about their transverse axes. Thus, for example when the cigarettes must be rotated through 90 degrees about their transverse axes, the two sheaves of straight generat-rices of the hypenboloid are inclined at 45 degrees relative to the axis of rotation of the drum.

Preferably the cigarettes are retained in their respective grooves or flutes by suction. To facilitate this the drum is arranged so that it is hollow and it is provided with perforations which project through the peripheral seats for the cigarettes in the grooves or flutes into the hollow interior of the drum. A reduced pressure is created and maintained within the drum. The drum is provided with a shutter or shoe which prevents suction from being applied over a certain sector as the drum is rotated. Thus suction is applied to maintain the cigarettes in position in their respective grooves or flutes during the interval while they are being rotated from the receiving to the delivery position. At the delivery position the shutter or shoe is interposed between the source of suction and the apertures in the bottom of the grooves or flutes and the cigarettes drop, one by one, as a result of gravity onto the collecting belt in a position transverse of its line of motion.

These and other characteristics of the invention and the advantages derivable therefrom will be evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment, illustrated as a non-lirnitative example in the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevation and FIG. 4 is a partial plan of the apparatus of the invention.

Corresponding designation numerals identify corresponding parts. Refer now to the drawings which show cigarettes 1 incoming in spaced alignment in the direction of their longitudinal axes as indicated by arrow 2. The cigarettes may be incoming, for example from the output of an automatic cigarette rod forming machine. In automatic cigarette making machines currently employed in .the industry, the cigarettes which are cut from the continuous rod are required to be deposited, in lateral alignment in one or more parallel rows on a cigarette collecting belt which moves in a horizontal plane different from the horizontal plane of the rod former and at right angles to the cigarettes incoming rectilinearly from the rod former. To effect the transfer from the longitudinal axial input of the incoming cigarettes to the collecting belt moving at right angles thereto and in a different horizontal plane, a suction drum having a cylindrical outer surface and having an axis of rotation parallel to the incoming cigarette line was formerly employed. That is to say the rotational axis of the drum was parallel to the rectilinear path of the incoming cigarettes. In such operation it was not necessary to change the orientation of the cigarettes as the position of the cigarettes incoming rectilinearly in axial alignment from the rod forming line and the posit-ion of the cigarettes deposited crosswise on the collecting belt were parallel one to another.

In certain cases, however, for example when the cigarette rod forming machine is required to be coupled with other machines, which perform their functions subsequently, and which are disposed at odd angles, other than right angles, with respect to the rod former, it is necessary to deposit the incoming cigarettes on a collecting conveyor belt 3 which is not only in a different horizontal plane but which, instead of being disposed at a right angle to the line of incoming cigarettes is directed to the right or left hand side of normal. In particular, as in the example illustrated in the drawings the collecting belt 3 may be parallel to the rod forming line, that is, it may be parallel to the rectilinear prolongation of the path of the incoming coaxially aligned cigarettes rather than at right angles to it. Thus, the collecting belt may constitute, in effect, a prolongation of the bench 5 of the cigarette machine but on another level. In such case, the incoming longitudinally aligned cigarettes must be rotated through a certain angle about their transverse axes so that they may be deposited on collecting belt 3 with their longitudinal axes transverse the line of motion of the belt and one or more parallel rows of cigarettes may be required to be so arranged on the belt.

The device, according to the invention, which provides for this rotation of the cigarettes 1 about their transverse axes, is formed by a drum 4 rotating for example in the direction of arrow 6 and arranged at the end of the rod forming line between the bench 5 of the machine and the following collecting belt 3. The outer surface of drum 4 has the form of a surface of a hyperboloid of revolution. This hyperboloid has a grooved surface, formed by two sheaves of straight lines inclined relative to the axis of rotation at a constant angle. In this device the angle of inclination is equal to half the angle through which the incoming cigarettes must be rotated about their transverse axes. In the example illustrated, the cigarettes 1 must be rotated through an angle of 90 degrees about a vertical axis passing through the center of each, so that the angle of inclination of the straight generatrices of the hyperboloid of revolution relative to the axis of rotation of the hyperboloid is 45 degrees.

The axis of rotation 104, see FEGURE 4, of drum 4 coincides with that of the hyperboloid of revolution and is inclined relative to the rectilinear path of the incoming coaxially aligned cigarettes by an angle also equal to half the angle through which the cigarettes must be rotated, which is equal to 45 degrees in the example illustrated. Seats are provided for the cigarettes in the peripheral surface of drum 4. These seats are formed by rectilinear flutes or openings 204 oriented along the corresponding straight lines of a sheaf of straight generatrices of the hyperboloid of revolution which constitutes the outer surface of drum 4. The bottoms of the openings 204 lie on the surface of the hyperboloid of revolution. The fiutes or grooves 204 in the head of the drum 4 facing the rod forming line are open to receive the incoming longitudinally aligned cigarettes one after another as each flute is rotated into position in synehronism with the arrival of each successive cigarette. The flutes are preferably closed at the opposite end.

The entire structure is constructed and arranged so as to align the opening of the flute or groove 2% which is momentarily in the uppermost position, with the path of the incoming longitudinally aligned cigarettes, that is to say, in alignment with the rod forming line, while in the lower sector of drum 4, the lowest flute 264 is oriented transversely of the underlying collecting belt 3. In the embodiment shown, each flute is rotated through 90 degrees while passing from its uppermost to its lowermost position.

Drum 4 is hollow and apertures 7 in the bottom of the openings 2% communicate with a cavity in the drum. The apertures 7 are arranged in one or more rows extending longitudinally in each of the openings 204 as indicated in FIG. 2. The cavity in drum 4 is connected by means of a fixed duct 8 to a source of suction, not shown, so that there is produced and maintained in the cavity a reduced pressure which manifests itself in the bottom of the flutes as suction through apertures 7. A fixed shoe or shutter 9 is arranged in the interior of drum 4 in such manner that it prevents suction from being applied through the apertures abutting the shutter. That sector of the drum which is not engaged by the shutter is the only portion thereof through which suction is applied. This active sector extends, in the direction of rotation 6 of the drum 4, approximately from its uppermost generatrix which is aligned with the path of the incoming cigarettes, substantially to its lowermost generatrix, which is transverse the collecting belt 3.

Under the conditions described in the foregoing, the coaxially aligned cigarettes arriving on the rod forming line are arranged one by one in the successive rectilinear openings 204 of drum 4 which are rotated into alignment with the oncoming cigarettes one after the other. The cigarettes arrive at the entrance to the openings 204 at relatively high speed and this speed is checked by the suction exerted through the holes.

Suction continues to be applied through the bottom of the openings during the rotation of the cigarettes from their incoming position to the position in which they are deposited on the belt 3. In the lower position of each opening 204 the apertures 7 are made ineffective by the innerposition of the fixed shutter 9. Suction is thereby withdrawn from the cigarette, and since it is no longer maintained thereby in the opening, it falls, as a result both of gravity and of centrifugal force, onto the underlying collecting belt 3. As a result of this a row of parallel cigarettes arranged transversely of the belt is formed thereon.

The present arrangement contemplates also the formation of two parallel rows of cigarettes arranged transversely on the belt. For such purpose the flutes or grooves 264 of drum 4 are made sufficiently long to accommodate two cigarettes with a short space therebetween. As each groove or flute reaches its uppermost position two cigarettes are interjccted in quick succession therein. Then upon rotation of the drum to the lowermost position of any flute the pair of cigarettes therein are deposited in spaced transverse alignment on the belt and as the operation continues two parallel rows of cigarettes are formed with the cigarettes arranged transversely of the belt.

The outer surface of the drum corresponding to drum 4 may be formed of any other surface of revolution having grooves therein to accommodate the cigarettes so long as the straight generatrices of the drum are inclined relative to the axis of revolution and may be rotated periodically into two positions spaced sufliciently angularly one from another and each of the generatrices when in its uppermost position is in alignment with the cigarettes incoming from the rod former and when in its lowermost position is normal to the line of motion of the collection belt and is inclined relative to the first position by an angle corresponding to the angle of rotation of the cigarettes. Therefore, the outer surface of drum 4 may be formed also by a partial surface of a hyperbolic paraboloid or the like. When it is not necessary that the position in which the rotated cigarettes are deposited on the belt be diametrically opposite to the position in which the incoming cigarettes are being received, the outer surface of drum 4 may be conical.

Although in the above description it has been assumed that cigarettes received from a cigarette making machine are acted upon, it is obvious that the device of the present invention may be applied to many other machines for handling articles, both rod like and other, which are required to be rotated through a certain angle about their transverse axis. It is obvious that the articles to be rotated may be fed to the rotating drum of the present apparatus and lodged in the openings in any suitable manner and with any suitable means, for example, by gravity, and that any suitable distributor may be employed. The openings need not necessarily be narrow flutes or grooves, but may be formed as necessary to receive articles having a wide diversity of shapes and sizes.

The rotation of the cigarettes or any suitable article may be effected through any angle and is not necessarily limited to a rotation through degrees. Thus, for example, in the form of construction illustrated, the straight generatrices of the grooved surface of revolution, which constitutes the outer surface of the drum and on whi h lie the bottoms of the rectilineal peripheral openings 2&4, may form with the axis of rotation of the drum any other angle, for example, an angle of 30 degrees. In such case, the axis of rotation of the drum will be inclined at the same angle, 30 degrees, relative to the path of the incoming longitudinally aligned cigarettes and the cigarettes will be deposited on the collecting belt rotated through 60 degrees about their transverse axes. Therefore, the collecting belt can be disposed at any desired angle with the rod forming line and may be inclined forwardly and backwardly relative to the bench 5 of the cigarette making machine. This permits coupling the cigarette making or other machine With another machine which performs a subsequent operation in the manufacturing cycle, which latter machine may be oriented in any desired manner relative to the cigarette making or other machine.

In FIG. 1, the invention is shown in perspective as applied to the output of the cigarette rod forming machine. The principal problem in such application is synchronizing the apparatus of the present invention with that of the rod former. This is necessary in order to introduce the cigarettes into the pockets 204 of the drum 4 without interference between the cigrettes and the wings of the flutes which delimit the pockets. This is effected by connecting the shaft 40 of the cigarette rod former through a pair of bevel gears 41 and 42, vertical shaft 43, worm gear 44, helical wheel 45, shaft 46 and helical wheels 47 and 48 to shaft 49 to which drum 4 is rigidly secured.

The rod cutting mechanism shown in FIG. 4 is well known in the art being described for instance in Patent 1,992,722 granted to E. D. Smith, February 26, 1935 which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. The cutting mechanism is also coupled to shaft 40 through a pair of bevel gears 51 and 52. The cutting wheel 50 of the cutter is thereby operated in proper timed relation with the rod forming machanism. A pulley 53, mounted on an extension of shaft 46, is coupled to pulley 54 of the sharpening mechanism of the cutter through a belt 55. The timing of the delivery of the cigarettes to the drum 8 may be controlled by rotating the knob 56 in one direction or the other. This effects the raising or the lowering of the housing 57 of the worm screw 44 and the rotation of drum 4- in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction as may be required to properly center the flutes to accommodate the cigarettes incoming from the rod former.

It should be evident from the foregoing that the invention is not limited to the form of construction described herein, but that it can be varied and modified widely, especially structurally, for example, with reference to the construction, support and drive of the hollow suction drum without deviation from the inventive principle set forth in the foregoing and claimed hereinafter.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for rotating cigarettes through a predetermined angle about their transverse axes, said device comprising a rotatable drum, the arcuate peripheral surface of said drum being formed by a surface of revolution, said surface having straight generatrices which are inclined relative to the axis of revolution of said surface, said surface having a plurality of grooves thereon, for carrying said cigarettes while they are being rotated, said grooves being parallel to said straight generatrices, means for rotating said drum so that said grooves periodically assume a first position and a second position, said positions being angularly spaced substantially one from another, said first position being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cigarettes incoming to said grooves, said second position being parallel to the cigarettes after rotation and inclined relative to said first position by an angle corresponding to that through which the cigarettes must be rotated about their own transverse axes, each of said grooves having means therein for retaining the cigarettes on said drum while they are being rotated from said first position to said second position.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the grooved outer surface of the drum has the form of the surface of a hyperboloid of revolution, and in which said second position is in the lower sector of the drum and diametrically opposite said first position.

3. A device according to claim 1, in which the straight generatrices of the surface of revolution are inclined relative to the axis of rotation of the drum by an angle equal to half the angle by which the cigarettes must be rotated about their transverse axis.

4. A device according to claim 1, in which the grooves for the cigarettes on the drum are rectilinear flutes whose bottoms lie on said surface.

5. A device according to the claim 1, having means whereby the cigarettes are retained on the drum by suction.

6. A device according to claim 1, in which the interior of the drum is a hollow cavity and the grooves have means defining apertures which communicate between the bottoms of the grooves and the cavity, and the device is arranged for connection to means for producing and maintaining a predetermined pressure in said cavity, and said drum has a fixed shutter in its interior, said shutter disposed. so that it leaves open only the apertures in an active suction sector of the drum, said sector extending in the direction of rotation of said drum approximately from said first to said second position.

7. A device according to claim 1, having a collecting belt adjacent to said second position, and in which said drum is disposed at the end of the rod forming line of a continuous automatic cigarette making machine to transport cigarettes between the rod forming line and said collecting belt, said belt disposed so that, in plan, it forms with said line any'desired angle, different from degress, means in said device for receiving longitudinally aligned mutually spaced cigarettes incoming one after the other from said rod forming line in a rectilinear path, and means for depositing the cigarettes on the collecting belt in parallel rows transverse the line of motion of the belt.

8. A rotatable drum having first means for transporting an article through a substantial angle on the arcuate surface of said drum, second means, responsive to the rotation of said drum, for meanwhile rotating said article through a substantial angle about a median transverse axis of said article, said second means being a surface on said drum shaped in the form of the surface of revolution of a hyperboloid.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,151,728 10/1964 Schmermund 198-63 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM B. LABORDE, Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR ROTATING CIGARETTES THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE ABOUT THEIR TRANSVERSE AXES, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A ROTATABLE DRUM, THE ARCUATE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID DRUM BEING FORMED BY A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION, SAID SURFACE HAVING STRAIGHT GENERATRICES WHICH ARE INCLINED RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF REVOLUTION OF SAID SURFACE, SAID SURFACE HAVING A PLURALITY OF GROOVES THEREON, FOR CARRYING SAID CIGARETTES WHILE THEY ARE BEING ROTATED, SAID GROOVES BEING PARALLEL TO SAID STRAIGHT GENERATRICES, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRUM SO THAT SAID GROOVES PERIODICALLY ASSUME A FIRST POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION, SAID POSITIONS BEING ANGULARLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY ONE FROM ANOTHER, SAID FIRST POSITION BEING PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CIGARETTES INCOMING TO SAID GROOVES, SAID SECOND POSITION BEING PARALLEL TO THE CIGARETTES AFTER ROTATION AND INCLINED RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST POSITION BY AN ANGLE CORRESPONDING TO THAT THROUGH WHICH THE CIGARETTES MUST BE ROTATED ABOUT THEIR OWN TRANSVERSE AXES, EACH OF SAID GROOVES HAVING MEANS THEREIN FOR RETAINING THE CIGARETTES ON SAID DRUM WHILE THEY ARE BEING ROTATED FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO SAID SECOND POSITION. 